My First Summer
by TenaciousLuke
Summary: Edward’s first summer in Danville starts off strange, but gets even stranger with two mysterious notes. I do not own Phineas and Ferb or any copyrighted songs included or referenced. Rated T to be safe. Remember to R&R! On indefinite hiatus.
1. Summertime Blues

A/N: Welcome to this new story, nice to see you! Anyway, this will chronicle Edward's first summer in Danville. This first chapter takes place on his second day.

I woke up to the sound of my alarm, which I turned off immediately, checking the time as I did so.

"It's 9 already?" I muttered, still half asleep. "Jeez!"

I stumbled to the wardrobe, and pulled out a Pink Floyd t-shirt, and a pair of dark grey jogging bottoms. I put them on, and walked to the bedroom door. I opened it… and hit my head on it leaving the room. "Damn!" I exclaimed, wincing from the pain. "There's gonna be a lump there later."

When I got downstairs, I went to the kitchen and made myself some breakfast despite not being very hungry.

After washing, I grabbed my trainers and walked over to Phineas and Ferb's backyard. It was about 10am at this point.

"Hey, how are you?" I asked.

"Hi Edward, we're good." Phineas replied.

"That… didn't sound very convincing. There something worrying you?"

"Yeah, I think someone has a crush on me, but I don't like them the same way. I'm worried that if i tell them, I might lose a friend."

"But then again, you might not. Your friendship might be strong enough to survive that heartbreak. You never know!"

"I don't know about that, even if she is my best friend." Phineas said

"Probably be better to get it over and done with now, than let your fear of losing a friend stop you." I suggested.

"That sounds like some pretty good advice."

"And you'd be a fool not to take it!" Ferb chimed in.

"Yeah, I-I suppose that would make it slightly easier." Phineas responded.

10 minutes later…

"Hey Phineas, whatcha doin'?" Isabella asked in a dreamy tone.

"Oh, hey Isabella." Phineas started "We hadn't actually thought of anything yet. We were just talking to Edward. Oh, and before I forget, I need to talk to you about something."

"And what's that?"

"Your crush on me. I worked it out last year, I just haven't said anything because I- hey, where's Perry?"

"Seriously, Phineas? Perry's sleeping near the fence. Now, why haven't you said anything about my crush?" Isabella asked, slightly miffed.

"Well, I didn't want to break your heart. You see, I- I don't like you the same way. I'm sorry, Isabella." Phineas replied apologetically.

"Phineas… I've had a crush on you since we were six years old. My heart is more than just broken, it's shattered into tiny fragments. I spent so long waiting for you to give me a sign. I-I-I don't wanna talk about this anymore!" Isabella burst into tears, and retreated back to her house.

"That went well." Phineas sarcastically muttered "Also, for real this time, where's Perry?"

"Your pet platypus?" I asked

"Yeah. Our pet platypus" He replied.

"I don't know."

At that point my phone started ringing. I didn't recognise the number, but I answered anyway.

"Hello, Edward Dickinson speaking." I announced.

"Hey Edward. You think you could help me with something?" Asked a familiar voice that I couldn't quite place.

"Yeah, what do you need?"

"To talk to you in person."

"Ok, where do you wanna meet me?" I enquired.

"There's a park in the city, I'll text you directions." Answered the caller.

"Yeah, see you there then."

"See you there."

I spent a couple of minutes trying to place the voice, but to no avail.

I received the text, and started to follow the directions.

"Uhh, why can't I recognise that voice?!" I thought to myself. I knew the voice was that of a girl, about my age, but I also knew it wasn't Leah, as much as I had hoped it would be. I was going to find out the answer soon enough though...

A/N: And that ends this chapter. I'm trying to write longer chapters than the last story. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed. Next chapter will hopefully be up tomorrow, or as soon as I finish it. But for now:

ROCK ON!

TenaciousLuke.


	2. Unexpected Meeting

A/N: I just want to apologise for any formatting issues that may be present in my writing.

I was trying every trick in the book to work out where I'd heard that voice, to no avail. Then I decided to wait and see who it was that had called me.

I got to the park, which was quieter than I expected. What I didn't expect, however, was who I was supposed to be meeting.

"Oh, hey Edward, I honestly thought you wouldn't show." Isabella said.

"Well, I'm a man of my word Isabella. Especially when it comes to helping someone." I started, "Speaking of which, what did you want to talk about?"

"You, or more specifically, how you seem to have already gotten over your heartbreak."

"I can tell you I haven't gotten over it, I just happen to be very good at putting on a metaphorical mask. This... isn't the real me, I was diagnosed with autism 4 years ago and I'm prone to panic attacks. What you're seeing, is a facade. I'm barely holding it together now. No idea why I'm telling you this."

"So, you're hiding your emotions? Your true personality?" She asked, concerned.

"Yeah. I don't like people seeing the real Edward. Plus, it's easier to be left alone when I'm the fake Edward." I answered nervously.

I was on the verge of succumbing to a panic attack, trying to calm myself down so I could get through this conversation. It wasn't working.

"I feel sorry for you, Edward. It must be hard to get through the days." Isabella said sympathetically.

"It's hard, yes. But I forget about what's happened when I listen to music. Particularly rock, doesn't matter what kind of rock, as long as it's rock." I explained.

"Any favorites?"

"The Who, Pink Floyd, Bon Jovi, Status Quo, just to name a few."

I was still close to breaking down, but not as close as I had been, although I didn't know what had caused me to calm down slightly. Not that it mattered.

One hour later…

"I've got a Fireside Girls meeting to attend, so I'll see you later Edward." Isabella said, already leaving. That left me to decide how I was gonna spend the rest of my day.

"Yeah, see you later." I replied.

I stayed out for a few minutes, then started walking back home. Surprisingly, I started singing 'See Me, Feel Me' by The Who to myself. And suddenly, I knew what I was doing for the rest of the day: singing along to some rock.

When I got back home, I fired up the stereo and inserted a mixtape disc I'd made a couple of months ago. But, as was going to become a common theme, I never got the chance to press play.


	3. Bittersweet Symphony

My phone started ringing for the second time today, but this time I already knew who it was.

"Hi Leah, how are you doing?" I asked, frustrated.

"I'm doing alright thanks, Edward. I just called to see how you were doing." Leah answered.

"Oh, I'm doing fine. I'd be doing better if you were here though, but at least it's not raining."

There was silence for a minute, and then Leah restarted the conversation.

"Umm, you may be interested to know that my dad has a job interview in Danville. He didn't say who with, but I'm glad that's happened because we'll be able to see each other again."

"It's been two days, and you've missed me that much? Maybe I underestimated the power of love." I replied.

We chatted for about half an hour, Leah hung up, and I tried listening to music again.

No chance. Someone knocked on the door.

"Are you kidding me?!" I muttered angrily, answering it.

Nobody was there, but there was a note on the floor. I picked it up.

"Edward, this note is important. Do NOT ignore it!" I read. "Something's gonna happen soon, something big. Something bad. Don't let your guard down for even a second. Stay alive, you're the only one who can stop it. Oh, one more thing. Pick your friends carefully, you'll need help. I'm not gonna sign this, you'll find out who I am soon enough."

I took a moment to process the information, and put the note in a safe place.

"What the hell? Why me? Is anyone gonna believe this?" I thought to myself. I decided I was gonna wait till tomorrow to tell anyone about the note. For now, I needed to rest.


	4. Seeking Help

"Right, today I need to tell someone about the note." I reminded myself, stumbling out of bed.

I got dressed, and made my way downstairs. Mum was just leaving for work. I said goodbye to her, making sure to wait 5 minutes to leave.

Grabbing the note, I walked out the door and stopped. Second thoughts filled my mind, but not for long. Determined, I made the journey to Phineas and Ferb's. By the time I got there they were already working on something.

"Hey guys, what's up?" I asked.

"Hey Edward, we're doing great today!" Phineas started "We're building a stage at the moment. We're gonna have a concert when this is finished!"

"That sounds cool! Is it karaoke or original songs?"

"Karaoke. Just to make it easier." He replied.

"Oh, one thing, someone left a note at my door yesterday. I have no idea who, or why they did, but it seems to be a warning of some kind." I explained.

"Do you have it with you?"

"Yeah, right here."

I handed Phineas the note. He read it, and a look of confusion crept onto his face.

"Strange that someone would know something's gonna happen, unless there was time travel involved." Phineas conjectured.

"Wait, time travel is possible?" I asked, amazed.

"Yeah, anything's possible, plus we've been to prehistory." Phineas explained. "Besides, it's the only possible explanation for the note."

"Which means, someone from the future left the note." I theorised.

"But who? That's the question. And what's coming, of course."

"Well, I guess we'll have to play the waiting game then. Can't do much else."

The rest of the day was fun, but I couldn't get the note off my mind. It was like paranoia, or something. I had this feeling for the next couple of weeks, up until the event happened. Sleep was hard, and still is. I just… give me a minute… sorry about that. Anyway, back to business. I walked home, and went straight to bed.

2 weeks later…

It was just another morning, or so I thought. Today was the day of the event.

A/N: That was pretty much a filler chapter. Next chapter is going to be epic!

ROCK ON!

TenaciousLuke.


	5. Descent Into Madness

I went through my morning routine, and decided to listen to music for a bit. Long Road Out of Eden by The Eagles was the album I chose. As I listened to it, I reflected on the major events of the past few days: Leah had moved in and I bought The Who's most recent studio album (2006) Endless Wire and liked it (I wasn't expecting to after some of Face Dances). That last one probably isn't too major, but The Who being my favourite band made it feel major to me.

I was on Last Good Time In Town when someone knocked on the door.

It was Isabella.

"Hey Edward, whatcha listening to?" She queried.

"Long Road Out of Eden by the Eagles." I answered. "It's my first time listening to it, and I'm liking it so far."

"Well, it certainly sounds interesting." Isabella said "Anyway, I need to talk to you about something."

I turned off the stereo and turned to face Isabella.

"What's up?" I asked curiously.

"Well, I received a note yesterday." She replied. "But the note's for you."

"What? But surely it would be easier to send me the note directly?" I was confused, but apparently not as confused as I was about to be.

Isabella gave me the note, and I read it.

Edward,

This note is, as you might be expecting, about the event.You may be confused as to why this note's come to you through Isabella. To explain that, I need to reveal some secrets.

First off, I'm from the future. Don't forget that, it's important. All of this is important.

Second off, the event isn't happening. There's still something c

Thirdly, I'm not you.

Finally, I couldn't deliver this directly, because this is a fixed point in time, and I would technically be changing it. This was meant to happen. It's a timey wimey thing.

About the event: I can't give you the specifics, but you might want to listen to a certain album by Jeff Wayne.

Signed: A friend.

"Well, I know exactly which album's being referred to there." I said confidently.

"Do you have it?" Isabella asked. "Because it would be annoying if you don't"

"Don't worry." I replied coolly. "I have it. And I know exactly where it is."

I walked to my room and picked up my copy of Jeff Wayne's Musical Version of The War of The Worlds, which happens to be my third favourite album of all time, and walked back to the living room.

I took Long Road Out of Eden out of the stereo, and put War of The Worlds in.

"Uhh, I'm not sure what kind of music you're into, but I think you'll like at least one song on here." I disclaimed.

"What kind of music is it?" Isabella questioned.

"Prog rock. With an orchestra." I answered. "Get ready."

"Sounds… interesting."

I pressed play, and the sound of Richard Burton's voice filled the room.

One masterpiece later…

"I'll admit, I kinda liked that." Isabella said.

We chatted for an hour, and just as Isabella was getting ready to leave, there was a huge crash!

I cautiously stepped towards the door, and slowly turned the handle.

"Please tell me that's a coincidence." I pleaded, looking out on some kind of alien ship. It had a cylindrical shape.

"Considering what we just listened to, and what the note said, I wouldn't think so." Isabella speculated. "But there's a chance it could be."

That didn't fill me with much hope. I felt my phone vibrate in my pocket. Answering it, I heard Leah's voice.

"Hey Edward." She said, sounding worried.

"Not the best time, Leah." I started. "An alien ship's just crashed in my backyard. Like War Of The Worlds."

"Yeah… I heard the crash. That's why I rang."

Right then, the ship's lid started unscrewing, making a horrible scraping noise.

"Don't worry Leah, I'm fine. For the next ten minutes anyway." I attempted to reassure her.

"I'm coming over anyway."' Leah hung up, her final statement a signal of her intent.

I didn't want her to be here when the lid fell off. I wanted her to be safe. If a second war between Martians and Man was going to happen, then I wanted to make sure my loved ones were safe.

As I was thinking this through, the ship's lid crashed to the ground.

"You might to leave now, Isabella." I suggested.

"Good idea." Isabella agreed.

As she walked out the gate, the alien inside the ship revealed itself. It's eyes were a beautiful aquamarine colour, but it's body was a mess of tentacles and black flesh. The alien was about thrice my height, and twice my width.

I was starting to slip into a panic attack, only made worse by hearing a scream from behind me.

It was Leah.

"Get away from here!" I warned. "Run!"

"What is that thing?!" She shouted.

"The thing that's about to kill you if you don't get a bloody move on and RUN!" I shouted back.

Leah followed orders, and I ran too, just as the alien was about to fire it's weapon at me.

It missed, but I realised it could destroy the whole street. I decided to warn everyone I knew about the threat, but worried that they wouldn't believe me.

Luckily, most of them had heard the crash. And believed in aliens.

I ran back into my house to grab a few bits, like a survival knife, and some food. I also quickly called Mom and warned her of the alien threat. She believed me, and hung up to continue her job.

I ran back out, and narrowly avoided being shot by the alien's weapon, it instead hit the fence, causing it to burst into flames.

"No, no, no! That can't be a heat ray!" I panicked, running from the monstrosity in my backyard.

Just as I turned the corner to leave the street, a cylinder crashed right in front of me. The shockwave threw me to the ground and I fell unconscious.


	6. Coming Back To Conciousness

I came to, hoping I'd just had a nightmare. No such luck.

As my vision returned to normal, I realised I wasn't in Maple Drive anymore.

"W-where am I right now?" I asked out loud, my eyes frantically darting around to see if anyone was there with me. "And how long was I out for?"

"You were out for about a day. As for where we are, your guess is as good as mine." Came the reply. I turned to see who it was.

"I-Isabella? Is there anyone else here?" I questioned.

"As far as I know, it's just you and me." She answered.

"What happened to the others?"

"We got separated a few hours back."

The bad news filled me with a sense of dread, but I decided not to dwell on it. On the bright side, I'd be able to listen to music on my watch. For example, Roger Waters' 'The Pros and Cons Of Hitch Hiking.'

"Well, could be worse, I suppose." I muttered. "Could be dead."

"True, although the Martians have fighting machines now. They could destroy this place quicker than you can say 'Ullah'." Isabella replied.

"There is that, yes." I started. "Fighting machines are quite powerful, and us humans are weak compared to them. Even if we do find a way out of here, to put it lightly: we're screwed."

"Not necessarily, hiding's a viable option."

"If you can find a hiding place." I countered. "Can't be many. I have a bad feeling about this particular place though."

We spent the next few hours in silence. I eventually decided to listen to some music and pulled out a pair of earphones.

I plugged them into my watch and pressed the random album button. It selected 'The Wall' by Pink Floyd. This was the first time I'd listened to it.

It wasn't the best time to have an experience, to say the least. As the album finished, a Martian let out a deafening roar.

"ULLAH!!"

"Here we go…" I mumbled, waiting for a heat ray to pierce the ceiling.

There wasn't, in fact, a heat ray. But there was a huge crash as a fighting machine's foot came down into the building. I managed to dodge it just in time. The impact left a way out, an escape route.

"Edward! You ok?" Isabella asked with a worried look on her face.

"Yeah, I'm fine." I replied. "Shall we get out of here?"

"Great idea!"

We left the building. It was evening, and the colours of the sky seemed so… vivid.

Luckily, the fighting machine that we'd encountered was the only one in the area.

We were safe. For now.


	7. Of Martians and Men

I reached into my pocket for my phone. Turning it on, I searched for Leah's number.

"Please answer. Please answer." I begged, calling her. Thankfully, she answered, and I felt a wave of relief.

"Thank God you're alive!" I exclaimed.

"I was about to say the same." Leah replied.

"Glad we've got that over with. Where are you?" I asked.

"Near the mall, I think."

"Are there any Martians there?"

"Yeah, a few." Leah stated. "You should be fine, as long as you stay out of their sight."

"Easier said than done." I said bluntly. "Their fighting machines are at least 60 ft tall."

"Just try not to get killed."

"Again, easier sai-"

"Get on with it!" Leah commanded.

"Yes Ma'am!" I muttered sarcastically, hanging up.

"Where's the mall anyway?"

"Not far, about a half hour's walk." Isabella answered.

_30 minutes later_:

We got to the mall. It was deserted, and some of the shops had been looted.

"ULLAH!" It sounded like multiple Martians this time. "ULLAH!"

We heard screaming from outside. I suddenly remembered the first note, and how I was the only one who could stop the Martians.

Feeling uncertain, I ran towards the doors. Just before I ran out of the mall, my phone started ringing.

"Hi Leah, you OK?" I asked.

"Not really." She replied. "I thought you'd be here by now."

"And where's 'here' exactly?"

"Outside the mall."

"Outside? Where the Martians are?" I questioned.

"Yes and no. Yes to outside, but I'm behind the mall." She answered. "Where are you?"

"Inside. Right in front of the doors."

"You're such an idiot sometimes Edward. I wouldn't be surprised if you were killed by the Martians the way you're ready to walk straight into them."

"WHAT?!" I shouted into the phone. "You can say that to my face later!"

I hung up, and just stood in silence for a few minutes. Disbelief filled me and a tear rolled down my cheek. There were more pressing issues though, and I walked out the door, and straight into the path of the Martians.

I quickly ran to the side, and motioned to Isabella to follow me. She followed orders, which seemed weird as she was usually the one giving them.

_Random transition to about two minutes in the future, which isn't needed but is here anyway because the writer desperately needs to finish this chapter_:

"ULLAH! ULLAH!" The Martians roared, firing their heat rays as they did, just about missing us and hitting the roof of the mall.

We ran around the back, and met up with the others. I let out a sigh of relief, but upon seeing Leah, shot her a death stare.

"Hey Edward. Sorry about what I said earlier." She apologised.

"I don't want to talk to you." I muttered.

"Fine!"


	8. Here We Go Again!

Although it had happened two days ago, I couldn't get it off my mind. She'd tried to apologise, but I was too hurt by what she said on the phone earlier that day.

I kept my distance from her after that, which was easy as she seemed to be keeping her distance as well. I let out a sigh, and looked to the night sky as if seeking counsel with a higher power.

"Edward? Can I talk to you for a minute?"

"Isabella, umm… can it wait?" I replied, just wanting to sit in silence.

"Not really."

"Ok, fine. What's up?"

"Is just over two weeks enough to know someone? Enough to have feelings for them?"

"I… don't know. Are you suggesting something?"

"No. I'm not suggesting anything."

Fortunately, a message popped up on my watch, with only two words:

Behind you!

I looked around and didn't see anything at first.

"What? I don't see anything behind me." I said, under the impression that this might be a prank.

Isabella looked confused, so I showed her the message.

We both looked around this time, and still nothing. I looked at my watch to see if I could trace the message.

I was having no luck whatsoever.

Another message came through, again with two words:

Look up!

I followed orders, and still didn't see anything. I remembered it was nighttime and started to walk a short distance.

"ULLAH!"

The Martian's howling took me by surprise, as if it was trying to utter a warning.

"What are you saying? Maybe I can translate using my watch." I muttered to myself.

Tapping furiously on the screen of my watch, I activated the translator.

"YOU ARE AN ENEMY!"

"Fair enough."

"YOU MUST DIE!

"Please, no! I'm not trying to stop you taking the Earth. I'm just a temporary inconvenience. Just walk past me."

"YOU MUST DIE!"

"Oh, come on! Please just listen to me."

There was a long pause, as if the Martian was considering its options. I could tell it was about to fire it's heat-ray. I

got ready to dive out of the way.

Too late.

The ray hit me with full force, and I fell to the ground.

"Ugh!"

"Edward!"

"Isabella… run. Warn… others."

"But, Edward-"

That's all I got to hear of Isabella's protests as I fell unconscious.

Again.


	9. Red Weed Part 1

As I was coming to, the daylight almost blinded me. I slowly clambered onto two feet. The landscape was a lurid red as far as the eye could see.

Red weed. The beginning of the end

Yet it felt strangely calm, as if the world had accepted its fate. I started walking in a random

direction to try and find something or someone. The red weed was everywhere, the fronds crawling.

"God… how long was I out for?" I wondered aloud. "And why doesn't there seem to be any Martians?"

I had been walking through the red weed for about an hour, not finding anyone or anything. Feeling cold, I threw on a hoodie pulled from my bag, the hood over my head.

The Martians had arrived, and immediately started building their fighting machines. Their ruthless bringers of death and destruction. Their kind don't sleep, they have no genders, no need of reproduction. They had eliminated from Mars the microorganisms that cause fevers and other morbidities. They were simply unstoppable. We just didn't stand a bloody chance.

There must be something worth living for.

There must be something worth trying for.

Even some things worth dying for.

If just one man can stand tall,

There must be some hope for us all.

Somewhere, somewhere in the spirit of man.

The words rang out in my head, and I realised that I had to face my fears and stand tall against the

Martians, for Danville, for the world.

I continued walking whilst trying to work out how I was going to defeat the Martians. My feet were tiring, and I soon stopped for a break.

"Huh, staring at the red weed is kinda calming." I observed. "Can't stay here long though, gotta keep moving."

With that, I resumed walking. I soon came upon a makeshift camp, with no-one inside. There was something sticking out, the most noticeable thing there. I recognised it.

"A Fireside Girls sash? That must mean I'm on the right path." I concluded, wandering on through the bleak landscape.

Some hours later, my watch lit up with a message;

Keep going, you can't give up now. The future depends on you. Strategise like you would in a game of chess. Come on, Edward 'Thunder Child' Dickinson!

A strange sense of motivation mixed with pressure filled me, and I pushed on. I came across another deserted camp, and this time there was no distinctive item. There was, however, a note with song lyrics on

Take a look around you,

At the world we've come to know,

Does it seem to be much more

Than a crazy circus show?

But maybe from the madness,

Something beautiful will grow,

In a brave new world!

May these words of inspiration reach someone who needs them. There is always a chance to build a brave new world. You just need to find it, and take it.

"Much needed." I thought to myself. "Inspiration taken."

The note got my brain working and before long, I realised what I needed to do.

We'll start, we'll start all over again!

All over again!

All over again!

All over again!

"I'VE GOT A PLAN!" I shouted to the empty expanse of red weed. "We need to create some kind of defensive weapon or base. Codename: Brave New World! Edward 1 Martians 0! Then when the Martians are defeated we simply rebuild and pick up where we left off with life."

I pulled out a notebook and scribbled down the details of my plan. Whether the others would agree, I didn't know, but it was the only plan I had.

At sunset, the red weed seemed intimidating with the reflection of the sun. I walked on regardless, and at last reached my goal. The others caught my eye and I let out a sigh of relief.

"Hey! I'm alive!" I called, hoping they'd hear me.

No such luck apparently. To be fair, they did look far enough to be just out of earshot. I started to run towards them, fearful of the threat of a fighting machine appearing from nowhere. I almost caught up, but tripped at the last moment and went down with a grunt.


	10. Almost

As I got up and brushed myself off, there was an all too familiar howling.

"YOU!" From the sound of it, there was only one fighting machine.

"Huh, translator's still on." I muttered. "Thought I was dead? You're not getting rid of me that easily!"

"HOW?!"

"I think it was luck, mixed with an automatic healing system that I forgot I'd implemented into my watch. Yeah… don't ask."

"DIE!"

"Did you not hear the words 'automatic healing system'? You can't kill me."

"NO!"

"YES!"

There was silence, then I instinctively jumped out of the way as the Martian fired it's heat ray. Fortunately, it didn't hit the others, but it did grab their attention.

"You'll have to do better than that, you brute!" I ridiculed the Martian.

"Edward? You're alive?" Hearing that voice instilled a warmth in me.

"Isabella?" I asked in return. "You alright?"

"Apart from dodging Martians and losing any chance of being with Phineas? Fine, I guess."

"Right… just let me deal with this fighting machine, then we can catch up." I replied.

Turning to the 60 foot tall goliath, I set up my watch to activate a forcefield around me, that could reflect anything.

"Ok then. Hey, Martian! You wanna try again?"

It accepted my invitation. The forcefield kicked in, and the spear of fire was reflected straight back at the fighting machine, sending the hood flying.

I quickly deactivated the forcefield and turned back round.

"Now that's over…" I started. "That was kinda awesome though, the way the hood just went flying off. Don't know how I didn't think to try that earlier."

Isabella brought me up to speed on what had happened while I'd been unconscious. I was apparently out for half a week, and had missed a lot.

"So, you're telling me that Leah and Phineas are a thing now? And that Danville is in ruins?"

"Unfortunately." Isabella answered.

"Huh." I replied. "So, I was thinking about that chat we had a while back."

"What about it?"

"You asked me if just over 2 weeks was enough to develop feelings for someone. I think what you were actually asking is if I have a crush on you. Am I right?"

"Yes." She admitted after a while. "I noticed you were attracted to me, and it was only then I managed to build up the courage to ask."

"Well, yes. I do have a crush on you." I confessed. "And I think the feelings developed quite quickly, in about a week. I denied them at first, as I was still in love with Leah, but after that phone call… well, you know the rest."

Sorrow was evident in my eyes as I recalled the holiday in Paris, my and Leah's last summer. The song started playing in my head, and I mumbled the words.

_I can still recall our last summer._

_I still see it all._

_Walks along the Seine, laughing in the rain._

_Our last summer, memories that remain._

_We made our way along the river, and we sat down in the grass, by the Eiffel Tower. _

_I was so happy we had met._

_It was the age of no regret, oh yes!_

_Those crazy years, they were the time of the flower power._

_But underneath, we had a fear of flying; of growing old. _

_A fear of slowly dying._

_We took a chance, like we were dancing our last dance._

_I can still recall our last summer._

_I still see it all._

_In the tourist jam, round the Notre-Dame._

_Our last summer, walking hand-in-hand._

_Paris restaurants, our last summer._

_Morning croissants._

_Living for the day, memories far away._

_Our last summer, we could laugh and play._

I trailed off into my memories of that glorious few weeks.

"Edward?" Isabella tried to get my attention.

"Yeah?" I asked in return.

"Sorry to interrupt your moment, but the Martians have a new type of machine."

"Can't be any worse than a fighting machine. Unless it's a handling machine. In any case, the best course of action is to run."

I suddenly remembered something. "Hang on, handling machines? That's how they lost the first time. They fed on people, and the bacteria killed them. Ok, I have an idea. They would only need a small amount of blood to fall ill. I keep a vial hidden just in case. So, give one Martian the vial of blood, they consume it, contract the bacteria, and eventually spread it to the others and they succumb to it."

I activated a function on my watch that opened a secret compartment, and retrieved the vial of blood.

"Are you sure, Edward?" Isabella questioned. "They won't stop at one vial."

"Look, I-"

"Isabella's right. We can't risk losing you. You're the one destined to win this war, not us." Phineas interjected.

"Well, I did have another plan, but that's not gonna work now." I muttered. "If only I had more time to come up with something. Hmm, more time… the notes! They were a warning, so what if they were written after the war? The time travel part would be a little complicated, but someone has to survive to write them. I also noted that there was a week between notes one and two, so if the pattern continues, a third note should make its appearance any moment now."

I received a message on my watch, and read it out loud.

_Edward, _

_The war may be tough, but it's almost over. Self-sacrifice isn't the way to win it though. Love also won't help much either. I know that by this point, you're stuck. I also know that, in about ten minutes, the last phase of the war will begin. You've already had the beginning and the red weed. The last phase will only last a couple of days and they will go very quickly. I can't say anything else about it, or I'll risk messing up the timeline. _

_Yours sincerely;_

_Unknown sender._


	11. Finally!

If the third note was to be believed, then today was the last day of the war. The Martian machines stood motionless, the sky an optimistic blue.

I was on my own once more, walking towards a ruined Danville.

Yet something seemed wrong. Maybe the end had come too soon. Maybe it was the end of an era, the start of something new. I couldn't tell.

"ULLAH!" There was a guttural cry, as if the city was trying to tell me something. "ULLAH!"

I felt a bittersweet loneliness. It was almost intolerable, but needed at the same time.

"ULLAH!" The howling persisted but I was trying to ignore it. "ULLAH!"

My idea with the blood had worked, but I gave up about a quarter for it. The Martian had consumed it and somehow spread the bacteria to the other Martians. I, on the other hand, was significantly weakened for the rest of the day due to the blood loss. Luckily, I had recovered.

I knew this was coming to an end. Only a few minutes now.

"ULLAH! ULL-"

The city fell silent.

**_A/N: I know it's short, but this just felt like the right way to end it._**


End file.
